Business

City’s largest heated open air seating plan at Industry City plazas

December 17, 2020 Jaime DeJesus

Photos courtesy of Industry City

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While New York City restaurants in general continue to struggle following Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s latest ban on indoor dining, Industry City has announced that it is launching extensive heated outdoor-dining tents for the benefit of its food vendors and their customers.

Throughout the winter, each courtyard-seating installation will have heaters inside and will also take advantage of duct heating from Industry City’s existing HVAC system.

The three courtyards will host five total breathable tents, with heating throughout. All in all, the heated tents take up more than 12,000 square feet.

Some 38 small business vendors will take part in the experience, making Industry City home to New York City’s largest heated outdoor dining experience.

“New Yorkers want to support small business and the hospitality industry as much as they can this season,” said Jim Somoza, director of development for Industry City. “They also want to have communal experiences in a safe and warm environment. We are uniquely suited to transform our courtyard space into a heated dining and drinking experience, essentially taking our indoor food hall outdoors.”

Since heat is created by using Industry City’s existing infrastructure using outdoor heating ducts, in addition to the heaters, this allows the tents to have open-air circulation while the people inside remain comfortable.

The sides of the large tents are dotted with new seating for more customers. Customers will also be able to see IC’s new ice rink, a fire pit and holiday decor.